Five stories in the news for today, Nov. 3

Traci Genereaux is seen in this undated handout photo. RCMP have identified the remains found on a Salmon Arm, B.C., property as those of 18-year-old Traci Genereaux. Police say no charges have been laid in connection with her death, which is being treated as suspicious.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, RCMP *MANDATORY CREDIT*

The father of a teen whose remains were found on a farm near Salmon Arm, B.C, says his daughter was getting her life back on track before she went missing in May. Traci Genereaux’s father, Darcy, described the 18-year-old as loud, quick-witted and funny. He also says that she had quit drugs, stopped working in the sex trade and began volunteering at the SPCA because she wanted to become a veterinarian.

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HEALTH CANADA EXPANDS EXTINGUISHER RECALL TO 2.7M DEVICES

The Canadian government is expanding a recall of Kidde and Garrison brand fire extinguishers to cover some 2.7 million of the devices in Canada, including some that date back more than 40 years. Health Canada says the fire extinguisher can become clogged or require excessive force to operate and may fail during a fire. Health Canada says the company has received reports of two cases where the extinguishers didn’t work properly in Canada.

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UNITED STATES SETS REVISED SOFTWOOD LUMBER DUTIES

The Trudeau government says it will continue to defend the Canadian lumber industry against protectionist trade measures — including possibly turning to litigation. The comment comes after the U.S. Commerce department said Thursday that it will impose smaller penalties on softwood than originally announced. In its final determination, Commerce said most Canadian producers will pay a combined countervailing and anti-dumping rate of 20.83 per cent, down from 26.75 per cent in the preliminary determinations issued earlier this year. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr called the punitive duties “unfair, unwarranted and deeply troubling.”

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LIBERAL MP ACCUSED OF INTIMIDATING CONSERVATIVE MP

A Conservative MP is accusing a Liberal MP of intimidating her while they were riding a bus around Parliament Hill. Conservative Alice Wong says she was sitting in an aisle seat on Wednesday when Liberal Adam Vaughan entered the bus and hovered over her. Wong says Vaughan waved his hand in her face, chastised and intimidated her for something she had said during question period. Vaughan says he does not share Wong’s description of events, but that does not matter; he says what matters is she felt intimidated. He apologized Thursday in the House of Commons.

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NDP APPOINTS TASK FORCE TO END MEDICAL PREMIUMS IN B.C.

A task force looking into how to eliminate medical premiums in British Columbia will consult with the public and look at health-funding models in other provinces to find an alternative. The newly appointed panel is expected to deliver a final report on its findings to the province’s NDP government by the end of March. The NDP has already plans to cut the premiums by 50 per cent as of Jan. 1, saving individuals up to $450 a year and families up to $900.